Women's rights group greets 'historic' EU abortion ruling, anti-abortionists say it circumvents Polands' laws.

Record ID: 2358247

  • Title: Women's rights group greets 'historic' EU abortion ruling, anti-abortionists say it circumvents Polands' laws.
  • Date: 26th February 2026
  • Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (FEBRUARY 26, 2026) (REUTERS) CARS DRIVING BY WOMAN RUNNING/ PEOPLE WALKING VARIOUS OF LAWYER AND ADVOCACY OFFICER AT THE FEDERAL FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN AND FAMILY PLANNING, MATEUSZ BIEZUNSKI WATCHING EUROPEAN UNION VIDEO ON ABORTION ACCESS BOOK ON SHELF READING (Polish): “Sexuality of Poles” (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER AND ADVOCACY OFFICER AT THE FEDERAL FOU
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: EU Poland abortion abortion law anti-abortion funds pro-abortion
  • Location: WARSAW, POLAND 
  • City: WARSAW, POLAND 
  • Country: Poland
  • Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001888126022026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:The European Commission announced on Thursday (February 26) that member states may use an existing EU social fund to provide free abortion procedures for women visiting from EU nations that restrict access to safe abortions.
    Pro-abortion groups in Poland welcomed the decision as historic. "Polish women will finally have an option to go abroad and access legal services, and to do that for free," Mateusz Biezunski, a lawyer at the Federal Foundation for Women and Family Planning in Warsaw said.
    Funding had been the main obstacle preventing women from rural and less privileged areas from traveling abroad for procedures, Biezunski said.
    The announcement however drew criticism from Polish anti-abortion group Ordo Iuris, whose communications director Olivier Bault, accused the Commission of circumventing national legislation. "It is the latest example of how the European Commission itself, which very often talks about the rule of law, has no respect for democracy and the rule of law," Bault said.
    Countries such as Malta and Poland have near-total abortion bans in place, while in countries like Italy and Croatia, abortions are difficult to access. Although the Commission stopped short of endorsing a new funding mechanism, it confirmed that member states may use or reallocate resources from an existing fund to ensure access to safe abortions for women.
    While the trend in Europe has been towards more accessibility for abortions, with the UK decriminalising abortion in 2025 and France making it a constitutional right in 2024, the continent has witnessed a surge in popular support for far-right parties, many of which oppose abortion.
    This is the twelfth European Citizens' Initiative that the Commission has responded to since the mechanism was launched in 2012. Previous initiatives have not been fully adopted, which has led to criticism of the mechanism's effectiveness.
    When an initiative gathers a million signatures of support, the Commission must issue a formal written response.
    (Production: Kuba Stezycki, Anna Lubowicka)
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